A17698:2316
Sermons upon Deuteronomy
The sermons of M. John Calvin upon the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpit; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneva, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chief matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alleged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.The sermons of M. Iohn Caluin vpon the fifth booke of Moses called Deuteronomie faithfully gathered word for word as he preached them in open pulpet; together with a preface of the ministers of the Church of Geneua, and an admonishment made by the deacons there. Also there are annexed two profitable tables, the one containing the chiefe matters; the other the places of Scripture herein alledged. Translated out of French by Arthur Golding.
London: printed by Henry Middleton for George Bishop, 1583
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But now let us come to that which is commanded here concerning the Easter day of the Jews Ye shall eat unleavened bread or cakes (saith he) by the space of six days, and there shall no leavened bread be found in your houses. This was done because the Jews departed in hast out of the Land of Egypt. And it ought to have made them to think that they went not out with banners displayed, as though their enemies had stood so in fear of them that they durst not quetch against them: for they ⟨p. 599⟩went a way like a sort of poor fugitives. The women carried their children upon their shoulders, the men took up their stuff in their necks, and fled away privily, and their enemies would fain have pursued them, & they were of strength & power enough to have done it. The Jews on the other side were a people that could no skill to handle a sword: for they had bin held in such slavery, that they durst not once look upon a sword or any weapon of war. They had bin used like §10Asses and Oxen. Their state had bin as slavish as could be. Well then, when the time came that they should depart, it was said unto them, Get ye hence.1 And what bread shall we have to eat? What provision shall there be by the way? Grind your corn, and truss it up quickly in meal upon your shoulders, and as the time will serve ye shall bake it by the way and eat it. Now when the people had this solemnity yearly, wherein they ate cakes without leaven: it served §20to put them in mind, that when their fathers departed out of Egypt, they were a poor fugitive people, that ran away like a Lamb that is pursued by wolves. Ye see in what plight they were. Needs therefore must it be concluded, that God had preserved them after a wonderful fashion. For what were the Egyptians? A nation full of pride and cruelty. A mighty nation, a nation that trusted to their own force & power; & moreover a nation that bare deadly hatred to the §30poor Jews, an utter enemy to them, & such a one as desired nothing so much as to root out the remembrance of them, as the tyranny of Pharaoh had well showed. Now then the Jews were put in mind that God had made them to scape out of their enemies hands, so as they could not but know that they had bin helped by him, & that the praise of their life was to be yielded unto him.